Meant To Be
by SlainBySpike
Summary: Rated to be safe. A songfic for the pairing of Draco Malfoy and Ginny Weasley, with lyrics from “Points of Authority” by Linkin Park. One-sided. Complete!
1. Prologue To A Songfic

> Disclaimer: Oh, you know the drill. Of course I don't own anything from Harry Potter! If I did, would I really be here right now?… Okay, I actually probably would be. Anyway. No, don't own it. Just the plot (plot?) of this story.
> 
> Summary: A songfic for the pairing of Draco Malfoy and Ginny Weasley, with lyrics from "Points of Authority" by Linkin Park.
> 
> Author's notes: Alright, so while I should have been working on my other D/G story I got the idea for this (while listening to Linkin Park, of course). This little plot bunny bugged me and bugged me until I tried to smash it with a hammer… but it's 100 plot bunny children came and beat me into submission… so here's a brand spankin' new fanfic! It was originally just going to be a oneshot songfic, but I decided it needed a prologue to make sense. So, here we go…
> 
> -Prologue-
> 
> Draco Malfoy glared daggers at the back of Harry Potter's head, which was directly in front of Ginny Weasley, who was blushing horribly. They had been standing together near the entrance of the Great Hall for some time, with mostly Harry talking. Hermione and Ron had abandoned Harry there at his request, and retired to the Gryffindor common room.
> 
> It was near the end of dinner and most everyone else had already left for their common rooms. Draco and only one other of his housemates were still sitting at Slytherin's table.
> 
> Draco sat, his half full plate of food abandoned in front of him, and a notebook propped open in his lap. His quill was hovering over the paper, poised for writing. But Draco's eyes were glued to the couple a few yards away.
> 
> Although he could not hear their discussion, he knew what Potter was asking Ginny. Why, a lot of boys had done the same over the past week, the first week back in Draco's seventh year to Hogwarts.
> 
> Ginny had changed noticeably over the summer. Her appearance had changed drastically after her fourth year, but now in her sixth no one had noticed until recently. Her hair, which she had been growing out since her second year, was long and flowing, and reached to the middle of her back. It's stark color made her stand out easily in a crowd. Her skin was pale and soft looking, with a light dusting of freckles, and reminded one of a porcelain doll.
> 
> Her eyes, warm and welcoming, were a deep shade of brown, with thin eyebrows above them. And while she was still quite lanky, she had acquired some curves since the last time Draco had seen her, and she had developed the feminine muscles of a girl who had to hold her own against six older brothers.
> 
> But no one had noticed these changes, no one except Draco. It could have been because, though changed in appearance, while still in her fifth year Ginny was still quite shy and kept mostly to herself. She had only two friends that she really hung around. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were far too secretive and "cliqued" for her to feel even remotely welcome while in their company.
> 
> And it could have been that she had a very imposing, and very protective older brother. If Ginny had known that Ron had just about threatened any male who appeared to be getting close to his sister, she would have been outraged. Not because she wanted the attention of boys, because she was really only interested in one, but because while her brother couldn't allow her in on any of his group's adventures or conversations, he still had the audacity to try and dictate her life.
> 
> But now Ginny had somehow emerged from her tiny, protective cocoon as a social little butterfly. She didn't need her friends around her to feel comfortable in a crowd, and talked jovially to anyone she felt inclined to. She was now not only funny and uplifting in the company of her friends, but lifted the moods of most people around her.
> 
> Many people, now no longer veiled of Ginny's existence, were noticing her kind and friendly nature, and were finding that she was a generally wonderful person to hang around, now that she wasn't restricting her whole personality to just her close friends and family. And with their noticing of her changed nature came notices of other good things about her.
> 
> Draco was disgusted. She was acting absolutely flirtatious around boys who previously didn't even know she existed, while he had been infatuated by her since her second year at Hogwarts!
> 
> Alright, so he had never been exactly friendly towards her… No, rather, he had taunted and teased her about any embarrassing or insignificant thing he could find, at any time possible, and she therefore had no reason to be interested in him. But he couldn't help himself! He had a reputation to uphold! And while he had been attracted to the youngest Weasley, he still absolutely loathed the rest of the muggle-loving saps in her family.
> 
> He just couldn't bring himself to be nice to her. Or anyone, really.
> 
> And yet, he still felt hurt that she could carry on the way she did with just about any other male in the school, while she treated him like the filth that gathered under her nails during Herbology lessons. Not that he didn't deserve it, mind you.
> 
> He still hated himself for getting attached. He didn't plan to, and in fact tried as hard as he could to quell the ridiculous feelings. Honestly, a Malfoy infatuated by a Weasley. The mere thought was laughable.
> 
> But he noticed, long before most everyone else, how she acted in the right company. How she could light up the lives of those around her, and how she glowed whenever she knew that she made someone else happy. Draco, surrounded by backstabbers and miscreants in the house of Slytherin, was very drawn to this particular trait.
> 
> But she was also such a frail individual… especially after her very harsh first year. But Draco, knowing nothing of Tom Marvolo Riddle, nor the incident between Ginny and his diary, had little idea of what could have happened to her. But he did notice her insecurity and brittleness, despite her boldness and flaring temper when provoked by himself or other members of his house.
> 
> It was something he admired.
> 
> Such an innocent, and shy creature could lash out so menacingly, with a sharp tongue that rivaled his own. But sometimes, when Draco said something particularly nasty, her anger got the better of her, and she stumbled over insults and curses, and was forced to storm off before making a fool of herself.
> 
> She was so cute when she was angry.
> 
> And now, at this very moment, as Draco watched with bated breath, the very person Ginny most admired was chatting her up. While his enemy stared on in envy.
> 
> "Well," Draco thought to himself in disgust, "yet another thing Potty has that I never will."
> 
> He snapped his book closed, and hurled it and his quill into his bag before hefting the bag over his shoulder and rising from his seat. He stalked across the hall and shoved into Potter as he passed him. Potter made to yell at Draco, but Ginny forced his attention away from him.
> 
> He had to get away from there. He walked through the entrance hall, then out of the large oak doors at the front of the castle, and then across the rolling green lawns of Hogwarts. He headed towards the Quidditch pitch, then up into the uppermost seats of the bleachers, and pulled out the notebook, quill, and ink again as he sat down.
> 
> He wrote the date down on the top of a clean sheet of paper, then proceeded to write about what had happened and how he felt. Anger, revulsion, jealousy, and malice were among the top, along with heartache and anxiety.
> 
> He wrote the top ten reasons why he deserved her more than Potter… and then the top 25 reasons why she would always love Potter more.
> 
> He had had an active journal in which he wrote in often for a few months now. And most of its content was fraught with tales and random thoughts on a young red-headed, brown-eyed goddess. He kept it near him always, in case of a sudden urge to write, or if something happened to him, and to keep it out of reach of anyone and everyone else. And because it was filled with so much of… _her._
> 
> He sighed, shoving a handful of stringy, silver-blonde hair out of his eyes as he finished writing, then signed his name hurriedly at the bottom. He shoved his things back into his bag, but didn't get up to leave yet. He sat quietly, gazing around and thinking about things. He tried to clear his mind of Ginny Weasley, but that didn't work in the least. And so instead he thought deeply about her.
> 
> It had been a week since the word had spread of Ginny's and Harry's budding relationship, and Draco was as miserable as ever. He'd taken to hurling really spiteful insults at the golden trio lately, namely Harry, and in his constant sour mood he usually came out the victor, having much more insult inspiration by having his secret love stolen away from him.
> 
> And though he felt hurt, he couldn't bring himself to utter a harsh word to Ginny… and therefore hadn't said anything to her at all during the week.
> 
> But one evening, as he was walking up to his last class of the day and digging through his bag distractedly, he knocked into someone harshly. That someone's pile of books scattered across the floor, some sliding quite a distance, and Draco looked up instantly.
> 
> Ginny Weasley, with a look of dismay, surveyed her sprawled books, and knew as soon as she had seen who'd knocked into her that she would be retrieving and stacking them up again alone.
> 
> She had, apparently, had them all stacked so high that she couldn't see where she was going. She bent down and started plucking them up again, carefully stacking them near her on the floor.
> 
> "Watch where you're going next time, Weas-" but he didn't get out another word. As he had started to walk off again, his foot landed on one of the fallen books and it slid over the slick floor, dragging Draco down to the ground to join it. He yelped in surprise, just before his head hit the stone.
> 
> It wasn't enough to knock him unconscious, but it caused colorful sparks to shoot off in his brain and sent his bag flying.
> 
> Ginny, despite herself, gasped and hurried to Draco's side, "Are you alright?"
> 
> Draco hissed in pain as he slowly sat up, but his heart lifted as he noted the genuine concern in her voice. Perhaps there was hope for him yet.
> 
> Most of the things in Draco's bag had spilled out over the floor and Ginny went to gather them while Draco worked on standing up. She returned everything to the bag before handing it back to him and helping him stand up straight. She checked him over quickly, a frown etching her face.
> 
> "Don't worry about me, Weasley."
> 
> But Ginny wasn't quite convinced. Draco hadn't been the one who had to watch his head bounce off the floor like that. She shuddered. Draco sighed, "Fine, I'll go see Madame Pomfrey, alright?"
> 
> Ginny nodded uncomfortably, then hesitantly bent to stack her things. Draco, despite having told Ginny otherwise, felt dizzy and had the urge to empty his stomach of its contents, and so he did indeed head to the hospital wing.
> 
> Ginny had nearly every book stacked beside her after Draco had long since turned the corner at the end of the hallway. And then she noticed a book that definitely wasn't one of the school's. It was a black leather notebook with a strap that looped around to the front and buttoned there, holding the book closed. Ginny's curiosity got the better of her and she opened the book, flipping to about the middle and read the first paragraph.
> 
> Her jaw dropped. She couldn't believe what she had just read!
> 
> "I can't believe it. That slimy, insufferable git finally noticed her. My scarlet goddess is now curled securely around Harry Potter's little finger. He treated her like the adopted sister that he didn't really want for so many years, and now that she's got every other guy looking at her, he moves in. _I _noticed Ginny Weasley first. _I _saw her for what she was worth, and loved her from afar for so long. And he comes up out of nowhere and sweeps her off of her feet and away from me."
> 
> '_No… this couldn't be what it looks like…' _But Ginny's fears were confirmed when she noted the scribbled name at the bottom of the page.
> 
> '_Oh, gods…' _Ginny took in a shuddering breath, '_No… no, no, no, no! NO!' _She closed her eyes, feeling a horrible sensation creep up her spine. This wasn't happening. This was some kind of joke.
> 
> Throwing cares of other people's privacy to the wind, she continued reading. It was, after all, about her… She had a right to know…
> 
> The journal's page was long and ranting, telling of mixed feelings that Draco had had for Ginny. He loved her and loathed her. Ginny felt a lump rise in her throat, but she wasn't quite sure why.
> 
> The page ended with two lists, which read as shown:
> 
> Top ten reasons why I deserve her more:
> 
> 1. Because I have more money than that git, Potter.
> 
> 2. Because I have better looks than that git, Potter.
> 
> 3. Because I could be a hero, too, if she asked me.
> 
> 4. Because I pay attention to her, whether she notices or not.
> 
> 5. Because my family is pureblood.
> 
> 6. Because I would take care of her.
> 
> 7. Because the way she looks makes my heart stop.
> 
> 8. Because I'd follow her anywhere.
> 
> 9. Because she makes me sick, but I can't get enough of her.
> 
> 10. Because I've loved her longer.
> 
> Top 25 reasons why she'll always love him more:
> 
> 1. Because she doesn't care about money, even if she should.
> 
> 2. Because if you're that git, Harry Potter, you look good anyway.
> 
> 3. Because that git, Potter is a natural hero, and didn't become one for a girl.
> 
> 4. Because she devotes her attention to that git, Potter.
> 
> 5. Because she loathes my family.
> 
> 6. Because he takes care of her.
> 
> 7. Because of the way she looks at him.
> 
> 8. Because she's always followed him.
> 
> 9. Because he's more than enough for her.
> 
> 10. Because she's loved him forever.
> 
> There was more to that list, but Ginny stopped herself from reading onward.
> 
> __
> 
> It made her stomach churn and her mind spin. She didn't know what to think. How could Malfoy possibly feel this way about her, when he treated her like dirt? Not to mention everyone she cared about. How could he possibly think she could love something like that? A part of her felt ashamed and confused, while another part of her screamed in rage.
> 
> How dare he feel these feelings and write these things, when all he could do to her face was sneer, and smirk, and utter snide remarks? Her fist clenched and unclenched. She hadn't felt so angry in a long time, though that was partly due to how confused she was, and another feeling that she couldn't quite understand. It made her throat tight and her lip quiver.
> 
> She growled, shoving the rest of the books onto the stack and then hefting them up as she stood. She had volunteered to take the trio's books to the library for them while they went off on some adventure or another. She didn't know, as she wasn't invited. She shrugged off the feeling of being left out and her mind was again plagued by thoughts of Malfoy. The thoughts accompanied her all the way to the library, and then, as she walked out the door now holding Draco's journal, she decided she couldn't take it any more.
> 
> She made up her mind. Setting her jaw and forcing herself not to back down, she marched to the hospital wing. She reached for the door knob and half expected him to not even be there, and was genuinely surprised when his cool grey eyes met her upon entry. Her face was still locked in an expression of determination.
> 
> Draco's heart leapt into his throat as Ginny Weasley walked over the threshold of the hospital wing, and his eyes nearly filled with tears of joy. What was she doing there? Was she really that worried about him? Where was Potter right now? His mind raced and his heart beat faster with each thought that darted through his mind.
> 
> And then he noticed her expression. She wasn't happy. His gaze lowered to her hand, in which she held some sort of book. She approached the bed and her look of determination turned into an expression of absolute and unmatched fury. She thrust the book into his chest roughly. Draco looked down at it, catching it in his hands just before she moved away.
> 
> His gaze jumped to Ginny's, horrified at what she had given him. She knew. She had read it. She knew.
> 
> He swallowed, though it was exceptionally hard with the lump that had formed in his throat.
> 
> She gave him one last, piercing glare… and then left. Just walked away.
> 
> His brain coursed with so many different feelings that it felt like he was drowning. Horror, anger, confusion, fear, paranoia, pain, grief, loss… relief? She finally knew. His dirty little secret was out. He sank further into the soft hospital bed, closing his eyes and trying to will away the painful events he'd just endured.
> 
> -
> 
> A/N: So, how was that? I'm not sure how well I'm doing with this whole love/angst/mooshy feelings thing. Let me know? It's definitely not one of my best, but it was just something I had to get out of my system. So don't judge me just by this little side project.
> 
> You may not think I'm much of a D/G shipper because of this fic, but that couldn't be farther from the truth. I love D/G, more than any other ship in all of the world. Truly. But, sometimes… you just hunger for a little bit of onesided romance.
> 
> Oh, and just to let you know… I don't normally like making Ginny sound so… pretty, I guess. She's not really supposed to be gorgeous, or anything… but it helped the story along in this fic. Sort of. Oh, bugger… sigh Well… whatever. Don't worry, I won't make it a habit to make Ginny seem Mary Sue-ish.
> 
> SO ENDS THE HUGE A/N
> 
> P.S. Next chapter to be uploaded after I wake up… because I'm so tired…


	2. Forfeiting the Game

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any of the characters, nor do I own Linkin Park or their song, "Points of Authority".

A/N: Woot! I finally got this done! And after gaining inspiration, it only took me one night! ::does inspiration jig:: Anyway. Between the --'s are the lyrics to the song (mostly), but the singular --'s are just to divide the parts of the story. I know the lyrics aren't placed in the story quite like most people do them… But I hope it still sounds good? The lyrics are kind of mixed up, and aren't exactly right, so forgive me.

--

****

--Forfeit the game / Before somebody else  
Takes you out of the frame / Puts your name to shame  
Cover up your face / You can't run the race  
The pace is too fast / You just won't last--

--One month later…--

Draco Malfoy was not having the best day of his life. So far, he had gotten humiliated in front of a group of his Slytherin peers by a spirited third year Ravenclaw, had insulted Neville Longbottom quite vulgarly and, to his surprise, actually got hexed by the twit! And he'd accidentally spilled an entire bottle of some very expensive potion ingredient while Snape was already in a nasty mood, losing 20 points for his house.

And now, heading to the library to begin research on the assignment that McGonagall had given him, his spirits were continuing to dwindle. Transfiguration was definitely not his best subject, and the plunge in his grades he'd endured over the last month had not helped the problem, obviously.

He bent his head to dig in his bag, looking for the materials he required before he found an empty table to sit at. He grasped at his quill and proceeded to rummage through the many items, when his hand ran over the smooth surface of a leather book. His heart suddenly clenched. Although he had not wrote in his journal since the incident with Ginny, nor even opened the book up afterward, he somehow couldn't stand to part with the wretched item. His brows lowered and his face hardened as he shoved the book roughly out of his way, grabbing up an inkwell in the same hand as his quill and continuing to walk through the library.

He'd just reached the parchment he needed for his essay when he bumped into someone. But Draco didn't even look up. He in fact tried to lower his head further, and ignored the protest of whoever it was. He hurried to the back of the library and found a seat near one of the windows. He dropped his bag on the floor and the few things he had retrieved from it onto the table as he sat down.

He was nearly halfway through his essay when he got up to look for a book, and his foot caught on one of the handles of his bag, pulling it open as he moved his leg forward, and spilling most of the contents onto the floor. He held his foot in mid-step as he turned his head to look at what he'd done. He sighed, shook his foot free of the bag, and bent to gather his things. He had them nearly all stowed away when he found his hand resting on the cover of his journal. His heart pounded.

And then he stuffed the damned thing into his bag before tossing it under the table. He growled as he went to scan the nearby shelves, and couldn't stop the images of Ginny that filtered into his mind.

He was amazed by her even still. She'd not told anyone of the journal, of Draco's feelings for her, and hadn't even mentioned it to him at all. Or, at least he thought she hadn't told anyone. None of his housemates had sought him out to berate him about rumors of him and the youngest Weasley, nor had Ron Weasley took it upon himself to defend his sister, and he hadn't received any death-glares from the Gryffindor posse during the last month…

"Well," he conceded to himself, "not any more than usual, anyway."

But he had noticed her looking at him… funny since the incident. She was constantly sending him knowing looks, little mocking smiles. He didn't want to admit it, but she seemed so… cold. He shuddered, horrified that he might be the cause of it. She did, in fact, focus her newfound coldness on him. He was at least thankful for that.

And as he was rounding the corner to search for his book elsewhere he stopped abruptly. Ginny Weasley sat, mere feet away, at a table full of books, surrounded by the golden trio of Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Harry was whispering something into her ear and she was smiling, while Ron and Hermione were too busy with each other to notice them. The trio had allowed Ginny into their tight-knit group slowly, but finally she was following them (namely Harry) most everywhere. He supposed their full allowance was mainly based on Ron's and Hermione's new relationship, which had excluded Harry somewhat. There were a few occasions now where the original three went off on their own, but mostly she was right on Harry's heels.

Draco's thoughts were muddled badly as he continued to stare at Ginny. A part of his brain told him he should stop; look away, and fast, but his body just wasn't willing to cooperate.

--

Ginny flipped her hair, turning her head while doing so, and caught sight of a silver-blonde head. Her eyes darted back to the shelf of books she had saw him near, and there he was. Her breath caught in her chest. For a brief moment she'd unknowingly let her features soften. As soon as the feeling passed over her, she'd overcome it, replacing her sad frown with a mocking curve in her mouth.

She pushed her chair out and stood up, slowly removing her gaze from Draco, to Harry. She moved behind him, sliding her hands over his shoulders and down to his chest, lowering her mouth to his ear as she did so. Her eyes flicked over to Draco, smirking, before whispering into Harry's ear and then placing a kiss along his jaw-line.

She leaned into Harry, gaze fixed on Draco, and watched him. At first he had been confused; perhaps he had seen the sad look cross her face. But then he'd grown angry. He scowled at her, and now as she watched, he stomped off through the rows of books.

A sad smile lingered on her face as she watched the place he'd just been standing.

****

--You love the way I look at you--

Draco was disgusted with himself. How could he let her see him like that? And that smug look on her face. He was outraged! Then the way she acted around Potter, throwing herself at him as he watched! His blood boiled. She wanted him to see what he couldn't have. His fists clenched at his side, nails digging into his palms. Wanted to rub his face in it.

And Draco had been practically drooling over her! He was such a fool!

She was enjoying the absolute turmoil he was drowning in.

****

--While taking pleasure in the awful things you put me through--

Draco sat at the Slytherin table, just about to gather his things and leave. He had not eaten much off of his plate, but he had to get out of there; fast. He kept catching himself watching _her _throughout dinner, and suspected that some of his housemates had even caught him a few times. He had witnessed her and Harry have their first real fight that day, at a time when the halls of Hogwarts were mostly empty, and it was easy to hear a single pair of students from quite a distance.

He couldn't believe his ears when he heard what they were fighting over. Harry had caught Ginny looking at _him_! His mouth had literally dropped open, leaving his mouth dry and making it hard to swallow.

Apparently he had thought something was going on between them. He had seen her watching Draco with sad eyes, and Harry, after having found what her attention kept slipping back to, had caught Draco staring at her a few times also! Harry was outraged. How could the person he loved fall for the enemy? Ginny, of course, denied that she had fallen, and had been angry that he would accuse her of such things. Harry had finally given in, but was obviously still upset. The two parted ways finally, and left Draco breathless.

He left his thoughts at the table as he slid his bag over one of his shoulders, stood up, and headed directly for the door. Halfway there his gaze flicked to the Gryffindors, immediately landing on a flame-haired girl staring at him and pushing away from her own table. His pace quickened as he got out of sight of everyone else, and soon he could hear someone running flat out towards him.

He spun around as the footfalls drew nearer, and Ginny Weasley nearly slammed into his chest. Draco, caught off guard and unable to control his actions, put his hands firmly on her shoulders to steady her. Ginny's gaze traveled up from his chest to his eyes. But she suddenly realized exactly where Draco's hands were and removed her gaze, shoving his arms gently away from her and taking a few steps back.

She cleared her throat, here eyes fixed on his chin, "Listen, Malfoy,"

His gaze darkened, "My name is Draco."

"_Malfoy_," she forced, face hardening as she continued, "I want you to stay away from me." her gaze flicked back up to his, determined.

"Excuse me?" Draco raised an eyebrow, feeling a scowl trying to creep onto his face.

"You know exactly what I mean, Malfoy. All of those looks I catch you giving me? I want them to stop, because I'm not the only one who's noticed them. So, Malfoy, I really don't care what you've got to do, but find a way to keep your mind off of me, as with your eyes. If you have to gouge them out with _salad tongs_, so be it!"

He could tell she was getting angry, and was tempted to make it worse with his input, but she plunged forward.

"I'm with Harry now. That's who I am. Perhaps… if things had gone differently… Or, rather, if you hadn't been such a disgusting git, maybe we could have found something in one another." Despite her harsh words, her expression had softened, and reflected in her deep pools was sadness.

"But I've found Harry, and I don't plan on having to go on another search in a long time, if ever." Her face hardened again, determination glittering in her eyes, as if trying to explain to him that nothing would get in the way of her dreams.

The scowl threatening to take over Draco's face now crashed there with full force. He couldn't make a face horrible enough to convey what he was feeling at that moment. But before he could get a word in, Ginny had turned to the staircase leading to her common room.

"You don't want to keep your face like that for too long, I've heard it could get stuck like that."

He ached to say something to her, yell at her, insult her; Hell, his hand even itched to slap her. But he forced himself to turn away as she disappeared up the stairs, and he then headed for the dungeons.

****

--You like to think you're never wrong  
(You live what you've learned)   
You have to act like you're someone  
(You live what you've learned)--

It had been only two days since the conversation between Ginny and Draco, and now Draco found himself staring helplessly at a small sobbing form, nestled within one of the filthy corridors of the dungeons. The corner she was tucked into was dark and grimy, but Draco could still make out what she was doing. Her legs were drawn up to her chest, her arms encircling them, and her head resting in the crook between her knees.

Draco had been out of his bed, as usual these days, and wandering aimlessly through the dungeons, when he heard the muffled cries. At first he had thought that it could possibly be one of the first years, having somehow got lost. He was just about to go scold and terrify the child back to bed, when his eyes rested on flaming red hair.

He stepped forward slowly, knowing she wouldn't appreciate or accept his comfort, and yet still unable to stop himself. His near-silent footsteps allowed him to walk right up to her without her noticing. He bent down onto his knees beside her, and slowly reached out a tentative hand. He laid it onto her shoulder and was unsurprised as she jumped, head jerking up to him. He could see hope in her eyes, and then watched it diminish, as if she were hoping for someone else.

Before she could even utter a sound, and before the rational side of Draco's mind could stop him, he lunged at her, drawing her up into his arms in one fluid movement and laying his cheek on her head. She sniffled a few moments, curling her hand over his arm. And suddenly, as if someone had dumped a pot of scalding water down her back, she jerked away from him, shoving his arms away from her and moving to stand.

Draco growled, brows lowering as he stood. He moved to catch her up in his arms again, but she laid her palms against his chest and pushed him away from her as hard as she could. Draco stumbled slightly, but caught himself.

She turned her back on him, her form rigid, "He left me." she stated simply, shaking, "Because of you. He left me because of you." She repeated, enunciating the last sentence angrily.

--You want someone to hurt like you  
(You live what you've learned)   
You want to share what you've been through  
(You live what you've learned)--

"He's a fool."

She spun around and raised her hand, but Draco had been wary and caught the swing easily. He yanked her to his chest, glaring down into huge, tear-filled eyes. The look of determination that she seemed to reserve for conversations with him returned once again, and she slowly, forcefully pulled her wrist out of his grasp.

She took a few steps back, "I don't want solace, Draco Malfoy, if it lies only in your arms."

"You would deny yourself solace? Deny your mind relief of pain? Simply because I am the enemy?"

"You act as if mortal enemies console one another on a daily basis!" she cried, voice thick with anguish.

"You're not my enemy." Draco said softly, voice growing deep with emotion.

Ginny tried her best to ignore how Draco was looking at her, and how his voice sounded at the moment, "Don't be so sure about that."

****

--You love the things I say I'll do  
The way I'll hurt myself again just to get back at you  
You take away when I give in--

Draco glared at her suddenly, rage flooding him, "Listen, you stupid little girl! Contrary to popular belief, _you don't know everything_!"

Ginny was beginning to worry, but she stood her ground, "I know _this_."

Every feeling and thought that had passed through Draco's mind since Ginny had found him out crashed through him. The amount of pain and anger that this tiny, insipid girl could instill in him was enough to drive him over the edge! He stalked right up to her, stopping just short of her, and raised his hand. Ginny immediately backed away, horrified. Draco looked up to his hand, realization dawning, and he was just as horrified, if not more, as Ginny.

"Ask me again why I could never love you!" Ginny spat, fleeing to the higher levels of the school.

--

It was a week later. Ginny had pleaded with Harry to take her back, but he confessed that he had left her for someone else, mainly out of jealousy. Draco, despite the break up of Ginny and Harry, had taken Ginny's advice, and was now ignoring her completely. His insults and general banter with the golden trio had even declined, along with his bullying of other students.

At first it had been hard to put Ginny behind him, but he had been determined. He tried everything, and found that reading and studying actually tended to help a lot. And so he did that, and his grades began to reclaim their once decent standard, and sometimes even excelled past his old marks. He found himself in the library more and more, rivaling the attendance of Hermione Granger herself.

At the moment he was up in his room, waiting for the other students who occupied his house to leave. Everyone was headed to Hogsmeade, except the younger students, all of whom were down at breakfast. Draco had skipped both the trip and breakfast, for he had some unfinished work to attend to.

Eventually the entire house was empty, and Draco had the place to himself. But, for how long, he didn't know. And so he set to work immediately, unlocking and opening his trunk, sifting through the contents until he reached the bottom, where lay a black, leather-bound book. He retrieved the book, shoving the rest of his things back into the trunk hastily and locking it.

He jogged down to the common room and over to the high flames within the fireplace. He knelt down in front, scooting back as the hot air hit him in the face, and opened up the book on his lap. He couldn't bare to read through it, and instead simply began ripping out each page from the very beginning, crushing them in his hand, and then tossing them into the flames. His face and mind were blank as the task became a force of habit.

After several minutes of this, he stopped, having reached a blank page. The first of many more. He gazed down at the page, and then looked around him. Spotting a quill on one of the tables near him, he took it up and wrote, as neat as he could, on the paper.

"_I hate Ginny Weasley."_

He then signed his name at the bottom, ripped the page out, crumpled it, and hurled it into the fire. He watched as the flames lapped hungrily at it's milky white skin, tainting it, a charred black consuming it. And then its frail form crumpled in on itself, now nothing but ash on the flaming wood.

****

--My life,  
My pride is broken--

A/N: Awww =( You never like to see that… Ah, well. I'll make a nicer one next time =)

…Oh, dear, I quoted Buffy…

And no, Ginny wasn't just being a… ah… _smelly head-_ if you catch me. I was tempted to do an epilogue, describing her true feelings, but decided against it. So, yes, while she was freaked out about Draco's feelings for her, she was also sympathetic towards him (she, too, went years without being noticed by the person she loved). But her vision of him was skewed by her friends and family, and also by his actions. She also knew that, even if she did accept him in the end, everyone else (be it his friends or hers) would probably not be too excited about a relationship between the two. And so she decided, even if at some points she felt like giving in to him, that she had to keep him away from her. So she wouldn't get attached, and he would eventually give her up.

But, anyway, that's only the thoughts and beliefs of this story's character. Who knows what another Ginny will think/do? Not to mention Draco. Hmm…

So, THANK YOU!!! to my wonderful reviewers! ::huggle:: You guys helped me through this, even though I started hating it along the way =)


End file.
